Not just any BLT sandwich...this vegan BLT features smoky tempeh bacon, spicy sriracha mayo, and creamy avocado slices, taking the flavor and texture over the top. You're going to want to make this easy and delicious sandwich again and again!
I love it when I create a vegan version of a dish that totally blows the original out of the water.
I grew up eating BLT sandwiches, and I liked them. But this vegan BLT is way better than any conventional BLT I've ever had.
This version is made with crispy toast — preferably sourdough, which is the best sandwich bread in my humble opinion. It's also got the essentials: romaine lettuce and fresh tomatoes. But this is where the similarities with a traditional BLT end.
My vegan BLT also includes smoky tempeh bacon, which I think is far superior to regular bacon. I jazzed up my standard tempeh bacon recipe with some extra seasonings to really enhance the flavor.
Two more things that set this vegan BLT from others are the avocado slices and spicy sriracha mayo. These ingredients take mere minutes to prepare, but they add so much deliciousness and texture that really brings the whole sandwich together.
I think this is about to become your new go-to quick and easy dinner!
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Ingredients You'll Need
- Vegan mayonnaise. This is pretty easy to find in most supermarkets, usually near the regular mayo or in the natural foods section. Hellman's Vegan, Vegenaise, and Just Mayo are some brands to look out for.
- Sriracha sauce. Make sure you're using a vegan sriracha. The sugar used in Huy Fong sriracha may not be vegan, so I don't recommend using that brand. I used Kitchen Garden brand sriracha, which can be bought on Amazon.
- Soy sauce. Gluten-free tamari or liquid aminos can be substituted if you'd like.
- Maple syrup.
- Apple cider vinegar.
- Liquid smoke. Liquid smoke can be found near the barbecue sauce in most supermarkets. It's totally vegan and will add loto of smoky flavor to your vegan bacon.
- Smoked paprika.
- Garlic powder.
- Tempeh. Tempeh can be bought in the natural foods sections of many supermarkets, usually near the tofu. You'll probably see different varieties that are made with grains, flax, and other additions. Any of these is fine, as is plain old tempeh. You can also make your own tempeh if you're feeling adventurous.
- Vegetable oil. Use whatever high-heat oil you prefer. Canola oil, coconut oil, and avocado oil all work!
- Sourdough bread. Sourdough has such an amazing flavor that works so well for a BLT sandwich, but feel free to swap it out with another sandwich bread if you prefer.
- Romaine lettuce.
- Tomato.
- Salt & pepper.
How It's Made
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Start by whipping up your sriracha mayo. This is as simple as mixing vegan mayo and sriracha sauce in a bowl. Feel free to adjust the amount of sriracha to your spice preference. It only adds a little heat, but you can leave it out completely if you like a milder sandwich.
To make your tempeh bacon, combine the soy sauce, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, liquid smoke, smoked paprika, and garlic powder, then pour the mixture over some thinly sliced tempeh.
If you have time, let the tempeh marinade for 30 minutes or so. If not, get right to cooking it!
To cook the tempeh bacon, heat some oil in a skillet and add some tempeh slices. Make sure to give them plenty of space to cook, even if this means cooking them in batches.
Cook the tempeh slices for a few minutes on each side, until they've got plenty of brown spots. Drizzle some extra marinade over them as they cook to really pack in the flavor!
Assemble your vegan BLT sandwiches! Slather toasted sourdough with sriracha mayo, then pair up the slices and stuff them with tempeh bacon, lettuce, tomato and avocado, sprinkling some salt and pepper on your tomato and avocado.
Leftovers & Storage
These sandwiches themselves can be wrapped up and stored in airtight containers in the fridge for a day or two, but you're really better off storing each of the components separately and assembling the sandwiches right before eating. The mayo will keep for at least a week in the refrigerator, and the tempeh bacon will keep for about 4 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer.
If you can, prepare each of the other sandwich components right before serving your vegan BLTs.
Variations
- Switch up the bacon. Not a fan of tempeh bacon? Swap it out with tofu bacon or coconut bacon.
- BLT wraps. Wrap your vegan BLT fillings in a tortilla instead of stuffing them in toast.
- BLT salads. Build a bed of lettuce (you'll need some extra), and pile on diced tomatoes and avocado. Crumple up the tempeh bacon and sprinkle it on top. Drizzle everything with some vegan ranch or vegan blue cheese dressing.
- Include some add-ins. Try pickle slices, onion slices, hot sauce, vegan cheese, or sprouts, to name a few. Get creative!
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More Vegan Sandwiches
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The Best Vegan BLT Sandwich
Not just any BLT sandwich...this vegan BLT features smoky tempeh bacon, spicy sriracha mayo, and creamy avocado slices, taking the flavor and texture over the top. You're going to want to make this easy and delicious sandwich again and again!
Ingredients
For the Sriracha Mayo
- â…“ cup vegan mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons sriracha sauce, or to taste
For the Tempeh Bacon
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 (8 ounce or 227 gram) package tempeh, thinly sliced (¼ inch or thinner)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
For the Sandwiches
- 6 slices sourdough bread
- ½ medium head romaine lettuce
- 1 large tomato, sliced
- 1 avocado sliced
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
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To make the sriracha mayo, stir the vegan mayonnaise and sriracha sauce together in a small bowl. Taste-test and add more sriracha if desired. Place the bowl in the fridge while you make the tempeh bacon.
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To make the tempeh bacon, first stir together the soy sauce, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, liquid smoke, smoked paprika, and garlic powder.
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Place the sliced tempeh into a shallow dish and pour the marinade over it. Optionally, let the tempeh marinade for 30 minutes.
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Coat the bottom of a medium skillet with the oil and place it over medium heat.
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When the oil is hot, add tempeh strips in an even layer. Cook the tempeh slices in batches, for about 5 minutes on each side, until darkened and crispy. Periodically drizzle some of the extra marinade over the tempeh as it cooks. Transfer the tempeh bacon to a plate when done.
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Toast the sourdough bread.
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Slather each slice of sourdough with sriracha mayo, then pair up the slices and stuff them with lettuce, tomato, avocado and tempeh bacon, sprinkling the tomato and avocado slices with salt and pepper to taste.
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Serve.
Isn't it amazing?! I've been putting it on all of my sandwiches - so good!!